


I Will Always Love You

by PrinceBrigan



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 03:32:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5569276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceBrigan/pseuds/PrinceBrigan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'I guess what I’m writing to tell you is that I return those feelings, even six years later. If you’ve moved on, or even If you don’t remember me anymore that’s fine. I’m still going to return, for even if I can’t be with you, being near you is good enough. <br/>Yugi, my love… I’m sorry, and soon hopefully we’ll be able to talk face to face.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Will Always Love You

Yugi sat at one of the booths, arms crossed, and a scowl placed across his lips. Joey was a silver-tongued son of a bitch and one of these days he was going to pay for it.  How he had gone from a boy who could only yell curse words at people to someone who could talk his way out of a bank robbery would always baffle the shorter boy. And now here he sat, at some stupid gay club while he watched Joey and Kaiba grind on each other all night. It had been years since his last relationship and he wasn’t looking for anything. No fling, no relationship, no nothing. After Atem had left him Yugi just couldn’t find it in himself to love someone else, and Joey knew this.

And yet, here was, chugging the strongest drink he could to try and drown out everyone around him. Most people didn’t seem to notice who he was or they would surely try to hit on him, and he wasn’t going to have it. He just wanted to go home, but at this point he wasn’t okay to drive, so he figured why not make it worse. Walking to the bar he ordered another drink and sat there instead of the booth, it was a quicker way to get drunk and a place where he could ignore the happenings behind him.

Yugi had always seemed to get in these moods. He loved the fact that Joey and Kaiba had found something for themselves in each other, but he hated it when they dragged him along so he could try and forget about the pharaoh of his past. Yugi was in love with a ghost and it hurt him to the core…. Okay so maybe his earlier statement of a relationship was incorrect. Yugi had never actually told Atem of his feelings and that’s what made the matter worse. He hadn’t actually realized it until he saw the older man’s back walk through those doors and leave his life forever.

That day Yugi’s soul was completely destroyed, and he spent years mending it back together. He knew without a doubt that he would never see his look alike again, he would never see that tan skin, those muscular arms, that ass that curved in all the right placed. Never again would he see the object of affection, and at some point he had come to terms with it.

By the time that Joey and Kaiba had found him again he had downed his fourth long island iced tea and was teetering on the edge of completely wasted.

“Woah Yug, don’t you think you’re drinking too much.”

“Better to drink my pain away that to see you two practically fuck on the dance floor.”

“I thought we had gone over this Yugi. You said you would try and find someone tonight, even if it was just a once night stand.”

“Yeah but the minute I stepped through this door I remembered that I don’t want too, and nor do I care about a relationship.”

“You can’t still be stuck on Atem man, it’s been ages.”

“How about you share a body with someone for four fucking years and see what happens. How about you hear every thought he thinks and every comment he says. How about you spend four years sharing your life with someone, someone who knows you better than yourself, and then he suddenly fucking disappears. How about you fall in love with a fucking three thousand year Pharaoh, who you’re destined to find and then send him back to the fucking spirit world where he belongs. How about you go through what I went through that day when I beat him in that duel. You don’t know what it was like Joey, you don’t know anything about me, or him. You don’t care either, you just want me to get on with someone so you can stop coming by and seeing me at the counter every day. You apparently think you have some obligation to be my goddamn mother and set me up with someone. You don’t Joey, you don’t have the right because you don’t understand. You don’t know what he meant to me, and you don’t understand what it feels like to have a soul ripped out of your fucking body. You don’t know how empty I still am. When he walked through that door that day I thought my life was over. I realized too late what he meant to me, but the more I think about it the more that it never fucking mattered. Because we were fated to separate in the first place.”

Yugi stood up from the counter and pushed passed Joey, he didn’t want to be near him any longer. He didn’t want to see the face that still hoped. Yugi had lost hope so long ago, and he never wanted it back in his life. Storming out the back door Yugi shivered in the cold, it was mid-winter, there was snow on the ground, and he didn’t have a jacket, and nor did he care. Leaning against the wall he slid down and sat there. His mind becoming as numb as his body was. The coldness had completely pushed away whatever he was feeling from the alcohol he had drank. Now he just sat there, empty and alone.

Shoving the palms of his hands in his eyes he tried to keep himself from crying. He tried to make sure that those tears that he used to often wouldn’t come forth. He was pathetic, Yugi was a pathetic human being, completely lost without Atem.

* * *

 

A few hours later Yugi woke up to a steady beeping and hushed voices. He couldn’t quite place where he was, all he knew is that he was wrapped up like a burrito and he was still damn cold. Trying to open his eyes he let out a soft groan, and even that hurt. The voices stopped, he heard the shifting of people in what he assumed where chairs and the shuffling of feet.

“Yugi?”

“Hmmm.”

“How are you?”

“Cold.”

“No fucking wonder you idiot. You stormed out of the club without a jacket and fell asleep in the fucking snow. Who even does that?”

“Joey, please.”

“Sorry gramps.”

They quieted down for a little bit before he heard the shuffling of something else and a door open.

“Hey Yugi, do you think you can open your eyes for me?”

The voice of who he was presuming his doctor broke the silence, followed by Yugi’s struggle to open his eyes. Eventually he was able too, though the bright lights forced them shut again.

“Hold your hand in front of your eyes when you open them this time.”

He followed the doctor’s orders and did that, his eyes adjusting to the light much better that time.

“How are you feeling?”

“Cold”

Chuckles made their way around the room as the doctor walked to his bed side.

“That’s to be expected. Fortunately you don’t have any major damage to any body parts, but I will be keeping you here for a few days to monitor your activity and such. Now keep still as I take the blankets off, now your own body is going to need to start producing its own heat again. You’re going to be cold for a while but that’s normal.”

The doctor made quick work and kept the regular hospital blanket and sheet on the bed.

“I’ll come back later to check on you. If anything happens holler or press the nurse button on your bed.”

Yugi nodded and watched him leave, his eyes trailing to the faces around the room. Joey, Tristan, Kaiba, Grandpa, and even Tea. Everyone was here. Thinking back to the events of that night Yugi sighed and looked at the blond next to Kaiba.

“Hey Joey, look I’m sorry about what I said to you. I didn’t mean for it to come out so harsh.”

“But you meant it right Yug? Every word was the honest to god truth wasn’t it?”

Yugi took a beat but then nodded.

“It’s chill dude. I knew I was being pushy and I’m sorry. I really just want what’s best for you, we all do. Oh and here, this was left at your feet when we found you.”

Joey handed Yugi a crisp tan colored envelope with his name written in cursive on the front. There was no sender, no address, no name. Turning it around the envelope was sealed with the Eye of Ra, a gasp escaped his lips as he tore it open.

_Yugi,_

_It’s been a while hasn’t it. Far too long. I’m sorry about that day, the one all those years ago. Even though we had been separated I felt what you had realized as I crossed over the threshold, I could have stopped, I could have back out of that door and let it close, leaving me in your world forever, but I knew it wasn’t right. I didn’t acknowledge you, I didn’t want to get your hopes up. Plus if I had stayed we would have shared a body again and where would the fun be then? So I decided in that split moment to continue into the afterlife, but with a mission to come back some day._

_I’m a pharaoh Yugi, and I rival any god of Egypt. That being said I still get powers and grants that no normal human would ever be able to get. So I thought, what if there was some way for me to come back to your world, but with a body instead? I contacted Marik in Cairo and we conversed about it. He knew it was practically impossible, but it had never been done, so we had to see. Believe it or not I’m actually writing this letter to you while I’m still in the afterworld. I somehow have the power to let objects crossover the threshold, but not bodies or souls. That’s how the tomb keepers and I have been talking._

_I still haven’t found the way over, we’re still looking, and gods all I want is to see your face again. It’s been what… six years since? You’re probably twenty now, taller, fuller, more handsome. I can’t see into your world and it’s killing me. But one day I know I’ll break this barrier. I guess what I’m writing to tell you is that I return those feelings, even six years later. If you’ve moved on, or even If you don’t remember me anymore that’s fine. I’m still going to return, for even if I can’t be with you, being near you is good enough._

_Yugi, my love… I’m sorry, and soon hopefully we’ll be able to talk face to face._

_With all the love in my heart,_

_Atem_

By the time he had finished the letter tears were streaming down his face. Handing the letter off, he closed his eyes and sighed. Six years, he had gone six years loving someone who he thought would never love him back, and yet all that time, that person had loved him back, and has spent six years trying to get back to him, is _still_ trying to get back to him. Yugi didn’t know how he got so lucky, but he wasn’t going to complain.

“Damn Yug, you lucky bastard.”

“Fuck off Joey. Clearly you’re the luckier one. You somehow managed to get the thick headed, stubborn, head of Kaiba Corp to fall in love with you. To be honest I think Atem has a rival now in the realm of magical abilities.”

He heard Joey chuckle and Kaiba groan.

“But Yugi, he’s been trying for six years. He’s not even sure it’s possible to cross over with his body. You might never see him.”

“Tea, I honestly don’t care. The fact that I know that he’s been trying, and that he loved me too is good enough for me. I don’t need anything else in this world right now… Except maybe some sleep.”

He heard her try to say something but someone cut her off.

“Let’s get out of here so he can rest in peace. We’ll see you when you get out Yugi.”

The door closed and left him in silence leaving him to think about the only thing that made him happy.

* * *

 

Six months had passed without another letter from Atem, but it didn’t really bother him all that much. He managed the game store with his grandpa and went out to duel on the weekends. He was finally living life again, happy and pretty carefree. He still passed up offers to go to the clubs, not wanting to get drunkenly angry again and end up in the hospital. He still thought about Atem a lot, well every day actually. He would look at the box where the millennium puzzle used to be and think of him. The memories were no longer bittersweet. Sure, he missed him more than words could describe, but just knowing that he was loved in return helped him.

The weekend of his 21st birthday found him at the largest conference room in Kaiba’s building. It had been transformed into a wonderful party space. Tea and Joey spending countless hours on it (much to Kaiba’s dismay). It was at one point supposed to have been a surprise party but Joey had gotten so excited that he couldn’t keep it in. All of his closest friends were there, including Mai, Joey, Tea, Tristan, Kaiba, Mokuba, his grandfather, Bakura , Serenity, Rebecca, Arthur, and even the Ishtar’s had flown for his party. Something he didn’t expect. To say he was disappointed that he didn’t see his dark skinned counterpart would have been a lie. He didn’t bother them with it though, this was his party, and he was going to make sure everyone enjoyed it.

There was food, music, and laughter. Even a few duels with Kaiba’s latest duel disk technology. It wouldn’t have been a birthday party for Yugi without a few duels to entertain them with. Of course Yugi won them all, leaving Kaiba a disgruntled mess, though it didn’t take long for Joey to remedy that. The party lasted well on into the night, everyone enjoying themselves. It had been so long since they had all been together without one of them getting harmed. Though Tristan did trip over a chair at some point and scrape himself but at least they weren’t fighting to save the world. At some point in the night Yugi had seen Marik slip out, Ishizu saying something about a birthday gift that they had left at their hotel. He didn’t think twice about it and continued on with the duel he was in the middle of.

Later on a handkerchief was placed over Yugi’s eyes, Odion mentioning something about a present they all pitched in to help buy. He heard the door open, footsteps sounded then stopped. The air in the room had changed dramatically, a change that Yugi couldn’t quite place. His blindfold was taken off and it took a moment for his eyes to readjust to the light. The sight in front of him had him thinking he was hallucinating. He looked around the room, looking at each and everyone’s faces, a smile plastered on all of them. He wasn’t the only one seeing this. There stood at the front of the room was the one person in all the world he never thought he would see again. Tan skin, those gorgeous purple eyes, and that smile. The smile he had missed so goddamn much. Yugi was in a word… shocked. Even from this distance he could tell that the other stood taller than him.

When Yugi’s legs finally allowed him to move he ran straight for him, literally jumping into his arms, Atem gladly receiving him. Though he was knocked back and fell straight on his ass, his hands never leaving the hold he had on Yugi.

Yugi had buried his face into Atem’s neck, crying onto his shirt, not caring one bit if he ruined it. He felt Atem place his head on Yugi’s shoulder, rubbing his back to calm him down. After a while Yugi pulled back, his hands still wrapped around Atem’s neck, a smile gracing his face.

“I never thought I’d see you again. When I watched you walk into that gate I honestly thought my life was over. Sure the world thought we were ready to part, but I wasn’t.”

“Trust me, the hardest thing to do that day was leaving you. But I vowed that I would find a way to return one day, it took me nearly seven years to accomplish, but I did it, and now I’m back here with you.”

Yugi smiled and pulled Atem in, kissing him, something he had been dreaming about for so long. Something that he had never thought he would ever be able to do. It was still such a weird sensation. Even after all of these years apart, it felt like this shouldn’t be real. He felt like the Atem in front of him was just a shadow of his mind, not an actual living, breathing person.

Pulling back Yugi looked Atem in the eyes, really making sure he wasn’t dreaming.

“You’re alive, you’re real. I can touch you, I can kiss you. Oh god Atem please tell me I’m not dreaming.”

“My love, if you’re dreaming then let us never wake from this dream.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for my good friend Alyx. I give her so much angst with these two that I promised to give her some good happy times. I hope you all enjoy it. ^^


End file.
